Dunaev Serhii Vladimirovich

Racketeer from Lysychansk

Serhiy Dunayev is one of the most notorious representatives of the Luhansk regional elite, whose biography includes racketeering, collaboration with separatists, and systematic concealment of assets. In 1991, he started as an installer, and since 1995 has run his own business. In the 1990s, he led the "Krasnyansky" group involved in racketeering in Donbas. In 2000, a criminal case on extortion was initiated but not concluded due to statute of limitations. His first steps in politics were made with the support of Yuriy Boyko, and promoted by Oleksandr Yefremov—the "lord of Luhansk region" from the Party of Regions.

Mobile crematorium for dogs and a speech under prohibited symbols

In 2009, as mayor of Lysychansk, he opened a mobile crematorium for animals: a mobile team would shoot dogs using a syringe gun and then cremate them. After media publications, the crematorium was closed. In 2019, he made a speech in Lysychansk under the prohibited symbolism of the Communist Party.

Six days in the seized SBU and negotiations with militants

In April 2014, he arrived at the building of the Luhansk SBU regional department seized by terrorists—to prevent an assault by security forces. He spent six days together inside with the separatist leader Bolotov. In 2014, "Aidar" battalion fighters detained Dunayev and MP Nedava during business negotiations with Russian militants in a house near Shchastia. On May 9, 2015, he publicly called the DNR terrorists "heroes"—after a scandal, he stated that he had meant the Ukrainian Armed Forces fighters.

160 million concealed assets and the Parliament protected his mandate

He did not declare assets worth almost 160 million UAH and a stake in his wife's company. In 2018, Prosecutor General Lutsenko filed a submission to hold him accountable—for concealing 12 companies and income in the hundreds of millions of hryvnias. The Verkhovna Rada refused to lift his parliamentary immunity.